Ellin Reviews The Runway

DONNA KARAN
Mistress of the body suit, the body wrap, the cold shoulder, the drape, monochromatic dressing, Zen lifestyle, and urban glamour, shines this season in gray and taupe.

Her collection was an elegant study of body wraps, drapes, and folds. Her shearling coats (and jackets and capes) were super. Many of her models had their heads either in a fur hat or with a wrapped scarf.

ANNA SUI
Anna marches to her own drummer, often leading others to do the same. She is a trend setter or definer. She was everyone's favorite as a stylist and now as a designer ... but she wanted to work through the ranks as quickly as possible. She did!

Anna's colors and prints are delightful.

And Bravo Anna: no high heels for your customers! Great tights and dancing oxfords!

Thank you for that spirited show!!! And for your happy thoughts.

BADGLEY MISCHKA
The boys get better looking yearly, and so do their clothes. We used to remember who was who by going "Mark is Dark" but don't think that works any longer, as Mark is now gray (I think).

Their evening clothes are very elegant and controlled; more sophisticated than in the past; they were very much influenced by old Hollywood movies! (Some of my favorites ... The Women, All about Eve, and Dark Victory). Their daytime clothes have a new addition; coats, especially shearlings. And they look like money in the bank for them!

CALVIN KLEIN
was very modern, minimal, fuller than in the past; and full of simplicity color wise; gray, wheat, white, and a touch of black. His coats, as they always are, were excellent; especially the alpaca ones.

Thursday morning, February 17, 2011

What a day! Warm enough to not wear a coat!!! Just my Spring uniform of white shirt (Brooks Bros), tight jeans (someone in the audience called them "jeggings" ... truth is I have gained weight so they might look like jean-leggings), and a golden-oldie long Armani jacket, which hides multitudes of sins!

Good thing I am comfortably dressed as my cab driver left me off ten blocks before the show's address on Tenth Avenue saying, "I think it is over there." Well it wasn't ... but a brisk walk down scenic 10th Avenue between 44 and 34 was good for me!

ISAAC MIZRAHI
I love Isaac ... his humor, his wit, his presentation ideas, his friendship. This collection could be called bow, cake, and poodle!

The presentation was terrific and fresh. Chic waiters carrying cakes to differentiate the color groups to come. Poodles accompanying clothes of the same color ... dyed to match the outfit on the model. Have you ever seen a pink poodle walking? Well I have! and yellow and blue ... and of course gray natural.

Unfortunately, I fear for Isaac that the gimmicks are going to be mentioned more than the clothes. The clothes are interesting and many have one big bow decorating the shoulder or the side. Many of Isaac's clothes are below calf length; but some are very short.

He is a performer and his show is always a good performance!

DEREK LAM
As I was leaving a show yesterday I saw a group of Women's Wear Daily big wigs going into an uptown building part of Lincoln Center. Nosey as I am I almost followed them all the way, but fortunately a member of the KCD staff saw me and invited me in!

Derek Lam's 16 dresses for ebay.

It was a Derek Lam ebay presentation. He has made a collection exclusively for ebay of 16 pieces. If you log onto www.dereklam.ebay.com ... you can vote for your favorite dresses. Out of this the top 5 winners will be produced for all to buy after March 1. The prices will be $125 to $295 exclusively on ebay.

It's a fun concept. I wonder how well this will do. I hope well as it is just another step into the future forcing retailers to keep upgrading their thoughts and modes of operations. And keep other on line merchants on their toes!

Allegri coats had a super presentation in the courtyard surrounding the stages at Lincoln Center. I loved how it was done.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

OSCAR de la RENTA
Attending the 2nd show is great in some ways! You run into people who were at the earlier one and you hear "beautiful, smashing, great" so your appetite is whetted. However when I arrived there was a line along Park Avenue, which I originally thought was to go to church (but why church at 2 PM?).

However it was nice weather so no major problem; and since it was for Oscar who I am sure most women on the line were secretly in love with or have a crush on! Don't worry Annette, he adores you!!!

I was fortunate enough to be at the customer show. And seated in the front row. That was thanks to David Columbia. It meant one thing: I couldn't see who was in back of me (Mica, Barbara, Annette de la Renta et al) It also meant I couldn't hear their comments re lengths and shoes and loves and hats.

Front row at Oscar.

The collection opened with KARLIE (please note she started Michael this morning and Prabal Gurung over the weekend ... she is the established star). She was in a black floral Indian patchwork embroidered coat with wool boucle trim. Worn with a fur trimmed hat and boots with a high thin metal heel. Oscar stayed with the Ottomans for daytime glamour.

Let's hope next winter is perfect for limousines and taxis to carry his attractive customers in these great outfits. One of my favorites was a black and ivory crewel "Chintamani" (it seems to be a town in India?) pattern alpaca coat with a paisley silk chiffon scarf on Mei Mei.

Oscar's colors are toned down for Fall. Fuschia and plum in an alpaca coat, in a plum dress; hunter green cardigans, and persian lamb vest. A smashing dress combining all the jewel tones in a madras plaid chiffon dress. Very simple and very pretty. Oscar used damasks and upholstery fabrics for some evening suits. However his burn out velvet gown in indigo blue and in black are perfect ... a golden oldie reborn more beautifully than before. Of course the blondes should be enticed by the golds.

One small critique: those shoes with the metallic heels and the ankle straps don't seem classy enough for Oscar. The kitten heels looked richer. But if this is part of Oscar's shoe line then it is fine. The shoe customer is different than the better ready to wear one!

Bless you Oscar! I, and I am sure we, applaud you!

Oscar closes out the show.

It's off to Michael Kors, one of my favorite friends, and favorite designers. Everything was looking cheery indeed. Even the cab drive across town; smart driver crossed 79th rather than 65th; and we sailed down CPW.

Remember that you East Siders!

MICHAEL KORS
This is the 30th anniversary of Michael Kors' business. It's been a rocky road for him; but his talent, humor, and friends seem to have supported him to heights larger than I am sure he ever imagined. He is recognized everywhere, and deserves that recognition!

This Fall 2011 collection is very beautiful. It is very glamourous. It is opposites, sexy and sporty at the same time!

It is totally monochromatic; this coming from a designer known for his color schemes and color blocks and stripes.

He opened the show with smoke GRAY.

Karmen opened the show in a cashmere double-face bathrobe coat with a white silk charmeuse body suit and smoke ashore trouser. She looked like a million dollars.

Next group were the black and whites. Starting with Daphne in a smashing white silk marocaine front slashed blouse, worn with a black tricotine slashed skirt. Okay, the below the knee looks great with a slim shape, great body, sexy long legs!

A charcoal GREY cashmere caftan is ideal for winter nights ... for solo reading or dinner parties in front of the fireplace. It camoflages the figure! A smoke flannel great coat (double breasted I think) looks fabulous over a stretch cashmere jumpsuit! Sexy sportif!

A group of SUNTANS, with nudes, and cocoa look refreshing, especially in suntan napa alligator jacket.

Michael does touches of REDS in some outfits, do not know if they were left overs from the Valentine's Day parade? But they looked good as did the crystal dresses and pants.

Well done Mr. Kors ... I imagine these clothes would be great in EAST END!!! as well as NYC. It is a collection full of "want to have, dream of having, got to HAVE" items!

P.S. Michael was perhaps the only designer who did not use very high spike shoes or boots with open toes to match those spikes! He designs his own shoes (very successfully ... both Kors and Michael Kors) so he had to differentiate this season. His shoes were great for walking, and great under wide legged pants or with his jump suits; they are high heeled but with thick heels (better to balance on). Some were lucite with rhinestone trimming on the wide straps. J'adore Michael.

Some goodies from the runway of Marc by Marc Jacobs ...

Tuesday (night), February 15, 2011

The Dennis Basso show was at 3 PM at Lincoln Center; the Marc by Marc Jacobs Show was at 4 PM at the downtown Armory at 65 Lexington Avenue. It's off duty hour for all the cabs and no public transportation to make it rapidly!

So I arrived at 4:20 for 15 dollars. Thank goodness Marc by Marc does not abide by the start on time rule and Ed Philopowski (my protector at KCD) quickly led me in and placed me front corner ... "let the show begin"!

MARC by MARC JACOBS
Is a delightful collection of easy to wear pieces. Thee were super knits, big blanket coats, metallic leathers in pants or in jackets; herringbone jackets or pants; navy pieces mixed with burgundy cashmeres. One lilac blue floral pattern silk jumpsuit somehow jumped into this Fall season but did not stay very long!

An ageless blackberry velvet suit was a delight. In fact there were many "no age" clothes, which made the show a success for me, and one which I imagine should be a success in the stores.

One more thing: Marc's shoes were either platform boots, lace up oxfords, and for the most part they were worn with the midcalf socks that I may be getting used to seeing, but still not loving!

J. MENDEL
is an inventive furrier and designer. This season he was inspired by tribal touches and patterns. There were tribal appliques on coats; stenciled sleeves; mink intarsia backs; appliqued dresses and gowns.

Mr. Mendel showed as many furs as he did long gowns which were very old Hollywood in glamour...and which of course would need a boa, shrug, bolero, short jacket, or long coat to go over!!!

J. Mendel fans from the back.

It is funny ... how life, like the weather, can run hot and then turn cold! Monday evening I came home after seeing the Marc Jacobs and Ralph Rucci shows ... both hot.

At the front door were two bases of flowers, one from my grandboys in London; the other from my grandboys across Central Park. This was hot, as it meant I would not throw a silent "hissy fit" to myself! They remembered!!!

From my grandboys in London (Charlie, 8, and Harry, 10).

But then it turned very cold: a jury duty notice! I do not mind serving as it is part of being a good citizen; as long as I do not serve on a jury. I know that I am too liberal. Of course the dates they picked for me happen to coincide with a very exciting 5-day trip to CUBA! Oh yeah!! I will apply for a date change.

Last time I was on jury duty I found a great pal there: LYPSINKA! We had fun Chinese food lunches and laughed a great deal. Needless to say we were both dismissed within two days (that was probably over ten years ago). I returned to writing and sending photos (such sad ones but of beautiful clothes!)

My Jury Summons.

Tuesday (morning), February 15, 2011

OOPS!!! How embarrassing is this? My blackberry is my alarm. It buzzes so many times that you cannot keep sleeping ... unless the blackberry is in another room ... in the bag organized for the day ... which is closed as is the door to the other room! I overslept ! It was 9:30 and I had a 10:00 show. I suddenly felt like I was back at college and almost slept through a class. It was easier then to pull on my bermuda shorts, brush my teeth, add a shetland sweater and take off on my bicycle in no time. Cannot do that now; my absence will not be noticed from the 7th row. I love the firm but ... I will make it up by adding another show to the schedule!

The scary lady pilots at the Dennis Basso show.

DENNIS BASSO
Furrier to the stars and the names and a great teddy bear loved by all, with a super sense of humor! I ran into Susan Gutfreund going in to the show. We both looked at each other, and laughed. Could it be?

She was wearing the same coat that I was! Not shocking but I know my coat was Fendi 1984. Delighted to see that Susan hangs on to favorites as I do ... and wears FENDI to BASSO. I do wish I had been able to photograph all the fashion mistakes waiting on line for their seating assignments. Very scary! I couldn't do it and juggle ticket to show, gloves, scarves, handbag, The Fashion Daily, and baby Fiji. Think we have to invent a fashion show bag in which you could compress your coat and stuff all else.

Dennis' show was as luxurious as any could be. Starting with dyed Russian sable in various colors (but all looking natural) smoke, khaki, graphite, spice. Lynx, kidassia (which I have never met before) but which seems like a sheep dog, fox, broadtail, lynx, and chinchilla all starred individually or in combinations.

Photographs (c) Jill Lynne, 2/15/2011

There were some great fitted coats, with an inserted waist of crocodile; short jackets combined with full taffeta skirts; fabulous are the anoraks in broadtail, fisher (be still my heart) and sable. (Remember Dennis has a store in Aspen!)

Two of the most exciting looks were the "artic dawn multi fur" coat over a fabulous handknit cashmere fisherman like dress that opened the show and the black hand knit cashmere dress that ended the show.

As for me, it is simple, the Russian barguzine sable coat (even if I do not know what barguzine is!)

Thanks for the "grandissimo" Basso!

UNIQLO in SoHo.

Monday, February 14 evening

I was too early for Marc Jacobs after Ralph Rucci so I had great fun covering some stores on lower Broadway. UNIQLO is a great experience. The merchandise is outrageously inexpensive and it has a sense of style. For example a striped (navy and white as Venetian gondolier) one-button cotton knit blazer ... at $29! Uniqlo has a special group of clothes labeled J+ or +J; more expensive, very understated chic, as well they should be. Designed by JIL SANDER!

A stop at DEAN and DELUCA for a cold drink and hopefully a ladies' room. "No, we don't have a ladies room, but Banana Republic down the street does." Indeed it does!

On to MARC JACOBS which is the only collection that starts exactly on time. Some more trivia here: Marc used to start many minutes, if not hours late, so his super Public Relations firm alerted top journalists as to the delay and gave them a new time. Others went and waited saying "only for Marc." Rumor has it that Anna Wintour (EIC Vogue) had a serious talk with him; and it took. At 7:59 last evening the audience was alerted that the "show is about to begin." And it did.

I call the show dotty! Full of polka dots and spirit. Marc told his friends at Women's Wear Daily that instead of being influenced by Victorian days, or Haight Asbury, or "ladies who lunch" at Grenouille or Michael's, he decided to be influenced by himself!! (thank you WWD for explaining that). Therefore Marc went thru all of his best collections and borrowed something from each.

The collection was modern in the choice of fabrics and setting. Words such as plastic and rubber are included in the descriptions. "Sequin to look like fur sweater" with "rubber to look like sequin" tight skirt worn with a vinyl beret with cashmere chin strap and platform snow boots!

Clothes were full of dots: sequins, rubber, large quarter size pailettes. There were some funny shrunken pill box hats, many in dots; and dotted gloves!

Marc got to the lunching ladies by putting them in the navy. Great sailor pants (in felt?). Felt shaped jackets and a great fitted and shaped navy coat.

For evening Marc had some body fitted guipure lace dresses; especially in burgundy and navy; often with a cellophane or polyester jabot.

These clothes need to be seen in person and felt. Retail merchants are going to have a difficult, but fun time!!

RALPH RUCCI
I admit it. Going down to Broadway and Spring from Lincoln Center may not be the easiest thing BUT if you are traveling to see a RALPH RUCCI show you don't bitch ... you go happily! And you run into many you know, and some you would want to know: Andre Leon Talley was there (know him), meeting Whoopi Goldberg (don't know her but would like to).

Ralph delayed his collection for close to 40 minutes, waiting for Glenda Bailey, editor in chief of Harper's Bazaar. She has been good to him in her magazine, so worth waiting for!

Whoopi Goldberg and Andre Leon Talley.

Ralph Rucci is probably the most intense, serious, incredible designer. He forbade me last season to call him a couturier, because he isn't (according to him), but his ready-to-wear is surely more perfect than anyone else's.

His show opened with a group of spectacular REDS!!! and I do not think it was because of Valentine's day. The first look was a red Mongolian lamb coat followed by a red vinyl raincoat. There were red chinchillas, red sable, red ponte dresses, red double faced cashmere coats, and red crepe wools.

He then showed a group of ultra suedes (do you remember that?) and one immediately thought of Halston. Quite honestly, it doesn't do it for me, but perhaps it was the buff and beige coloring that threw me off.

Ralph did some spectacular black and whites — for day and for night. He ended the show with a totally incredible group of reds ... from embroidered chiffon and feathers to bugle beading!

BRAVO RALPH!!!

OMG ... it is Valentine's Day and my Valentine surprise was a sunny morning at 50 degrees! of course I suddenly got caught by the wind and realized that today could be just a tease. But I am grateful for small treats!

CAROLINA HERRERA
Interesting conjuring: Prabal Gurung, one of my favorite young designers on the scene, was in the front row at Carolina's show; and Carolina was in the front row at Prabal's. Why???

Carolina changed direction this season. Her collection was simpler and cleaner and very pretty. The clothes stood on their own. The Manolo Blahnik shoes surely did not go with top of calf length socks! They stood on their own.

Carolina herself has been wearing skirts that move. They fly out when she turns; they look great with her always-impeccable white shirts. Fortunately she has some of those skirts in her collection ... but where can we buy your perfect white shirts???

I love my white shirts from Brooks Bros. but know yours are not from there! Help oh help Carolina!

Most of all congratulations on the show. The tweed jewel encrusted jacket is to die for. It's nice to be able to say that! Thank you ...

CARLOS MIELE
What could be better on Valentine's Day than seeing a Brazilian designer's sexy fashion show. These are not clothes for shrinking violets. They are in bright cobalt or crimson red often covered by a fur cape or coverlet or jacket. Of course Carlos showed black ...

Thank you Carlos for sticking with what you know best!

Until tonight from Ralph Rucci and Marc Jacobs; which will probably be Wednesday reading!

And sadly it is getting cold again!
Happy Valentine's Day to you all!

by Ellin Saltzman

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Tommy calls this collection BOHEMIAN PREP. It isn't really Bo Ho ... it is preppy (but not in a teenage way) ... and full of delightful menswear with some great feminine touches.

I have not seen a Tommy show in many years and was delightfully pleased! There were clothes for all generations (or at least three) and they are affordably chic. There were cashmere cable sweaters, fisherman style, in wheat, blue, and burgundy. There were parkas, anoraks, double breasted jackets, peacoats, and classic fitted long coats (shown over pin stripe pant suits ... affordable St Laurent style). Silk satin foulard paisley separates were shown under pea coats; and seemed fresh!

My only criticism, and fortunately I did not see this as I watched the show, is that many of the pants were elasticized at the bottom, as if to protect from bicycle cable grease or?

I must add that the runway for Tommy's show was a long Persian carpet and there were three chandeliers running down it ... this alone was a clue that Tommy was growing up ... but not too much!

I hadn't seen Tommy in many many years but felt I must go backstage to congratulate him. Apparently I scheduled his first New York Fifth Avenue windows, which he reminds me of and to be honest I have no memory of! But I did want to say Bravo to him.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Well ... the weatherman promised a warm day ... wrong! Snow flurries at 1 PM. But I guess we could call it warmer than it had been! The great thing is looking at Fall 2011 clothes, some of which can fit perfectly in your life come next October (or maybe November).

JILL STUARTJill Stuart opened my day. However before that I discovered some amazing things (little things can make my day): a small 11 ounce FIJI water! The perfect size and weight!!!; a probiotic smoothie which will make me healthier at the end of the week (or fatter?); and the new DIET PEPSI SLIM ... the can is slimmer, not you. All of these could be found or rather distributed in the tents at Lincoln Center. Along with the Fashion Daily, which is fun reading as one waits the 25-35 minutes before show time!

Jill's clothes are for the young in spirit. She opened with large animal bright print dresses which hung below the knee. Below that were below calf socks and high heeled loafers ... thus exposing very little leg ... too bad! The prints were great ...
I am not sure it was the designer or the stylist who decided on the high socks and high heels. It could be a trend setter or just a show statement.

I did see this sock trick in other shows ... I am still hoping they were all styled by the same person! If not I apologize ... I missed this trend and am not sure I totally understand it (could be part of that generational thing that attacks me when I see smashing girls/ladies/women with tattoos up and down their arms, or rising above the crack or around neck or ...). Jill had some party dresses with gold lace trims ... the dresses were in pink and nude. All in all a good collection but would it have looked younger and better at shorter lengths?

PRABAL GURUNG
Born in Singapore, raised in Nepal, Prabal is a very talented designer. I confess to falling in love with his Spring 2010 collection, which was full of clean lines and sportswear feelings. It was bright with some outstanding color-blocked separates or dresses. For Fall, the clean sportswear looks vanished as Mr. Gurung paid homage to his favorite book, Great Expectations! Miss Havisham's wardrobe was his inspiration (both before her breakdown and after). He also was inspired by "how girls in Brooklyn dress up"!

There were some great entrance clothes, such as the opening on Karlie of a bright crimson draped washed silk faille (so as not to look too stiff or formal) dress with one shoulder exposed. This was followed by a washed crinkle chiffon floor length dress in vermilion topped by an ombre vermilion to white feathered fox jacket.

Many of the models wore Wolford tights with ballet-like ties lacing up the legs (I confess I think the design was part of the tights and not wrapped on!). Many of the black and white outfits that followed were wrapped in leather straps and combined with guipure lace.

Many of the clothes were below knee lengths, but one stood out ... an above knee ivory alpaca fair isle sweater dress. This could have kept you warm this winter ... although it does add as many pounds to you as the TV camera!

The feathers flew ... ostrich, painted feathers, feathered fox, all very glamorous ...
Prabal Gurung ended with some blush bias cut gowns as well as a fuchsia dress and gown coming full circle from the vermilion opening.

Fortunately Adam Lippes's collection, which was next on my schedule, gave me an hour free. So I ran to PJ Clarke's, which is right across the street from the Lincoln Center tents. It was snowing briefly. Now, how long has PJ's been there? Was it there in September? If so how did I miss it? At any rate everyone seemed to be there! Ran into two friends, one a brilliant fashion journalist ex Los Angeles Times,Mary Lou Luther, who told me a truism which I promised not to write about ... and the other Nicole Fishelis of Macy's New York whom I have known for decades (she was in Saks Paris office). We all had cheeseburgers and fries and a big cold serving of light draft beer! Very relaxing and unfortunately sleepy making!

ADAMAdam Lippes was inspired by an exhibit of native American and South American arts and objects from Alaska and Argentina.

Adam is definitely an outdoor person; whom we first knew as a menswear designer. His collection is updated LL Bean with a design spirit.

Cobalt and white hunter's plaid in a hooded pullover ... like a sweatshirt with black wool work pants; fabulous racoon coat over a blue chambray shirt and denim work pant; and then a school girl uniform of claret wool shirt and short skirt.

He did a black fisherman knit sweater, which was combined with a feather embroidered skirt. There were some great vests and anoraks and silk shirt dresses.

For night he had some pretty lace or black dresses; which of course were overshadowed by his strong outdoors looks!

MANDY COON
Mandy is an Asian designer who is new to the scene. Her designs are very neat and clean. She reminded me of Ann DeMeulemeester when her designs first hit the runway. Everything was black ... leather wool and maybe navy. Her designs were shown in a small studio where the only way to see was then was to be Stoudemire ... but it all looked very interesting and is a designer to watch out for in the near future.

Friday, February 11, 2011

A chilly but beautiful day ... and I was fortunate enough to see two super collections.
I confess I was scheduled to see four or five in total, however when I received the emails with my seating assignments (one of the great things that are happening this season) this morning my assignment was "standing." Now quite frankly, the PR people with these firms have no idea who I am (or who I was). The designers know me but I certainly would not bother them with my trivia. I simply will not do "standing" except for Lady Gaga, Elton John, and once upon a time Judy Garland (now that really dates me) concerts ... and standing for a LaCroix couture show in the late 1980s or Yves St Laurent.

Peter Som's shiny cigarette pants.

PETER SOMPeter Som and his team are very classy. I first met Peter when he was designing the Bill Blass Collection. It was an a tough assignment because the owners wanted him to duplicate Bill's designs, but they took away his creativity. I believe they also let the best pattern makers and tailors leave. However, Peter was able to meet many of Mr. Blass' clients, and start to understand their needs. For his own label Peter has reached an excellent combination of sophisticated sportswear with a dressmaker approach.

Outstanding are his skinny pants, his shaped jacket suits (especially the hot pink or flox double oxford fitted suit), his pea coats (one in grey melton worn with a bright orange skirt), grey melton boxy jacket with silver fox attachments. He is known for doing fabulous grey sweater jackets each season ... and this year they do not disappoint. In the classic sporty vein was a khaki mink-lined parka shown over hot pink (flox) floral jacquard skirt.

Just one note more: Peter makes some dresses with sleeves for those that need or want arm coverage! A welcome understanding of his customers from 28 to her mother ... and maybe some young grandmothers too.

Jason Wu's runway was constructed of aged mirrors with gold frames under a big chandelier.

JASON WU
I was seated in front of a couple who won tickets to the Jason Wu show at a Colon and Colitis Charity Auction! Of course Jason was a hot ticket as he had just created Mrs. Obama's beautiful inauguration dress. Since this couple arrived early for the show they were full of questions and comments on the fashion world.

They actually won tickets to the Spring 2010 show in September but how could they come during Rosh Hashanah (but traded them in) and didn't designers know that? I tried to explain how tight the schedules were and that London started immediately after, and then Italy and Paris who really control the dates. Anna Wintour arrived then and that ended our conversation!

The big chandelier ... inspired by Versailles.

Jason's collection was inspired by Versailles and its restoration over the past 25 years. Thus, there were elements of simplicity and classics contrasting or mixing with opulence and grandeur. It works and so do his clothes.

The runway was aged mirrors with gold frames under a big chandelier. The models practiced walking on it before the show ... and none slipped! But the mood of the Versailles salon was set!

The collection, according to the program, features over 15 types of LACES in many forms. It opened with a charcoal grey flannel coat with lace trim down sides and black cigarette pants with charcoal lace trim (the lace actually looks like cables). Winter whites looked good and so did the falling leaves patterns. A touch of ULTRA VIOLET in lace trimmed fitted jacket over cigarette pants.

For evening Jason showed some SCULPTED shapes ... almost balloon shaped skirts and they looked youthful and flattering. He also showed some OSTRICH feathered dresses and coats ... probably not an easy wear but they do make an entrance!

SWAROVSKI jewels trimmed many pieces adding to the sense of opulence which ended with a gold lace paillette embroidered gown.

You go Jason Wu!!

Jason Wu.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

A very chilly day, however you would not realize it by looking at the audience at Luca Luca! or rather at the folks waiting on line to take their seats.

They are dressed to be photographed. Perhaps only 6 people in down coats or jackets (and I was one of them!).

The ladies did have some over the knee boots but they were very high heeled and often worn with tights (thank goodness) and short shorts! or short full skirts and short fur jackets! (JUST LOOK TO YOUR RIGHT).

And front row ladies at the Luca Luca show were in one shoulder silver pailette top, chiffon dresses, and one in a very short circle skirt (I think there may have been a crinoline under it ... now test your memory ... who remembers crinolines?

I once traveled with another very young teenager who wore Anne Fogarty (another test) and traveled with her crinolines which she put over every lamp to keep the shape!

At any rate back to Luca Luca ... he does show a variety of skirts ... pencil thin, pleated, full circle ... and a variety of pants ... but it is not a collection of separates. It is a collection of well made clothes for women who do not want the understated. It is a capes on trenches, leather pants, print blouses ... beading, fox trims, metallic lace. Incredibly detailed, which his customer appreciates.

For the less showy, Luca Luca has one super double weight jersey dress in bright fuchsia ... also a smash second wedding or grandson or son bar mitzvah party a winter white silk inset blouse with wool crepe pleated skirt; and a very glamorous fuchsia leaf print embroidered long dress with jet beaded collar.

I admire Luca Luca for knowing his customer!

Clue for fall: watch full skirts ... they move and look good but must be at the knee or above ... no mid calf!